Plain English App Mark

For app content and other non-technical elements

The ‘Plain English App Mark’ accreditation confirms that your app’s content, design, accessibility and audience-appropriateness are first rate.

The App Mark is our seal of approval for mobile apps and is roughly equivalent to our Crystal Mark. If your app contains a lot of public information, the App Mark confirms that it’s been checked and approved by us.

When we assess your app content, our editors carry out checks similar to those we run for the Crystal Mark.

What we assess

We look at the following.

Text

Design

Accessibility issues

Usefulness to the intended audience.

The text

We look at the following.

Sentence length

Paragraph construction and length

Grammar and punctuation

Nominalisations and passive verbs

Word choice and comprehension levels.

The design

We look at the following.

Typesize and typeface

Colour combinations and contrast

Size of headings and subheadings – is there a clear distinction?

Use of headings – do they clash across articles or pages?

Use of white space

Does the design make it easy to read?

Overprinting (words overlapping)

Use of reversed-out text

Is your app laid out clearly? Is the text big enough and clear enough?

Accessibility

We need to know the following.

How easy your app is to use and navigate – including for those with an impairment or disability.

What issues prevent your app from being easy to use.

Usefulness

What is your app trying to do? Is it successful?

Is the tone appropriate for the intended audience?

We don’t expect your text to be written to Crystal Mark standard. However, an App Mark will confirm that your app is well written and easy to use by your target audience. The App Mark also means your app is well designed and easy on the eye.

The App Mark does not refer to any technical aspects of your app, such as programming issues. It is purely a standalone, one-time assessment of content, design and accessibility issues.

We will review your app and discuss our findings with you. If your app is already up to App Mark standard, we will provide accreditation along with an assessment. If not, we will suggest the changes you will need for accreditation.

The charge for assessment, review and accreditation of your app is £500 + VAT. As mentioned, we can talk you through any issues as we carry out and finalise the review, but once accreditation is confirmed our assessment ends.

Once we have confirmed that your app qualifies, you can display the App Mark logo. If you make any notable changes and you want to retain the App Mark, we can reassess your app for a reduced fee.